A Smarter Approach to Early Years Transitions
When a child transitions from nursery or a childminder into Reception, it’s not about starting over it’s about building on what already works.
StepIntoSchool, by Pupil Pathways, gives Early Years providers a secure, straightforward way to share the complete picture of each child with receiving schools, ensuring every child arrives known, safe, and ready to belong.
Every Early Years Learner known and supported
Valuable insights from nurseries and childminders too often get lost across papers, emails, and ad-hoc forms. Reception teams then spend September trying to piece it all together, while families end up repeating their story.
This results in delays, duplication, and missed opportunities especially for children with emerging SEND or additional needs.
What StepIntoSchool changes
- One structured profile that captures what matters: development and communication, pupil voice, interests and motivators, successful strategies, emerging SEND indicators, key documents, and agreed next steps.
- Early, secure transfer in spring/summer, not week one, so schools can plan learning environments, visits and support before the child arrives.
- Built-in UK GDPR controls (role-based access, audit trail) so the right people see the right information andl, nothing more.
- Authority-wide consistency: one process, one timeline, one language across nurseries, PVIs and childminders.
Benefits at a glance
For nurseries & childminders
- Enter insightful information once in a structured, efficient way to share transition data for all children.
- Show your professional judgement clearly including attaching relevant reports, observation notes and (optionally) voice messages.
- Access meaningful reports and be confident that transition information is reaching the right people at the right time
For Reception teams
- Receive timely, accurate and actionable information on incoming pupils
- Help staff plan effectively, provide targeted support to ensure a smooth transition
- Understand every child before they start school, creating a sense of belonging from day one
“We are locality based working quite closely with family hubs… Previously we relied quite heavily on paperwork, so this is definitely the best way forward.” — Claudia Rodrigues, Service Manager (Early Years), London Borough of Hounslow
“Settings told us the system was simple to use. Training was step-by-step, they felt confident—and schools said they can’t wait for full rollout so everything’s in one place.” — Jen Rowe, Lead Professional (Early Years), London Borough of Hounslow
“Because of all the information the school received from the setting through StepIntoSchool, they were able to secure funding a term earlier to support the child.” — Jen Rowe, Lead Professional (Early Years), London Borough of Hounslow
FAQs
Is this UK GDPR compliant?
Yes. Encryption, role-based access, and a full audit trail as standard. Providers can use a clear parent declaration template.
Can childminders use it?
Absolutely. StepIntoSchool is designed for all Early Years providers: nurseries, PVIs and childminders.
Do I have to use a PC
No, you can access StepIntoSchool from a PC, Laptop or tablet. We would not recommend via a smart phone simply due to the screen size.
What if a child moves out of area?
Schools beyond the authority can receive profiles securely via Lite access, so information travels with the child.
How long to get started?
Authorities typically configure and train in weeks, ready for spring/summer transfers.
